Chapter 16
Dae
“These books are almost a hundred years old,” Kennedy says with awe as we tour the vintage books.
Bars and glass keep the relics away from those who want to touch them. Even my connections couldn’t get the glass removed to allow her to touch the books. The way she’s staring at them, with an easy smile on her face, makes me believe I should’ve tried harder.
“Have you always loved reading and books?” I ask, needing to know more about her. Even after years of watching and wanting her, I still want to know so much. There’s information I only wanted to hear from her mouth, for her to tell me. To confess all of her secrets to me and only me.
“Yes. I can’t remember my life without words,” she answers.
Without thinking, I take her hand in mine. The thought of her being too far from me is unbearable. That, and I need to touch her.
Her hand easily fits in mine. She doesn’t pull away or even give a look of surprise. As if her body knows it belongs next to me.
“My mother’s a librarian and would take us to the library or bookstore every week. I always left with an armful of books.”
“What was your favorite genre as a kid?”
“Anything I could get my hands on,” she replies. “I loved it all. From fiction to nonfiction. Fantasy, sci-fi, self-help, biographies. All of it caught my attention. I wanted to know everything I could. For many years, I thought I would grow up to be a librarian like my mom.”
“What changed?” I inquire.
“Our family trip.”
“The one around the world?” I ask.
She nods. “I wanted to learn so much more about the people we met. I wanted to know their stories, what makes people do the things they do. You know?”
It’s a rhetorical question but I answer, “I might know something about that.”
I squeeze her hand in mine.
“That’s when my interest in investigative reporting formed,” she continues. “The real stories of people we pass by on the street can be as entertaining as any fictional story written.”
Her smile widens as she turns to me. “I’m going to write a book at some point about the cases I investigate. There’s only so much material I can squeeze in a five-thousand-word article. Some stories need a full-length book.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Have you chosen which case to write your first book on yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Whatever it is, it’ll be a huge success. I’ve read all of your articles. You’re a phenomenal storyteller.”
Yes, I’ve read everything she’s ever written and published. Her writing is compelling and full of heart. Her intrigue, curiosity, and sincerity shine through in each article she writes.
She wrinkles her forehead. “You couldn’t have read all of my articles,” she scoffs.
“Couldn’t I?”
She eyes me quizzically.
“And I’ll be the first in line to buy out the entire store of copies when your book is published.”
She playfully swats my arm and then looks back at the antique bookshelves. A sigh releases from her perfect mouth.
“What was that?”
She turns to me. “Our conversation made me think about my trip to Erika Dalton’s hometown last week. Her mother was so cold, and something is going on with that church. My gut tells me whatever led Erika to Williamsport started in that church.”
She clamps her mouth shut and looks at me through her eyelashes. “I can’t go into more detail.” Her tone is almost apologetic.
I raise her hand to mine, kissing it. “You don’t have to. I just enjoy the sound of your voice. You could read me the phone book, and I’d listen for hours.”
She laughs like I’ve told a joke.
I take the opportunity to steal a kiss. “How did I wait so long to make you mine?” I growl against her mouth.
My patience should be rewarded, and I studied in the classrooms of psych classes because it is a wonder to me.
I pull her in for another kiss before I allow myself to reflect too much. This one is deeper, slower, and more intentional. She lets out a little groan that shoots straight to my cock. Her hand comes up to cup my face, and I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her to me. Not even air is allowed to come between us.
A clearing of a throat from somewhere in the room catches my attention. Reluctantly, I pull away from her enchanting lips, but I don’t release her. I can’t.
“Sir, your viewing is ready,” our guide informs us.
“You can remain down here,” I tell him. “We’ll come down when it’s time.”
He nods in agreement.
I finally release Kennedy’s waist but take her hand to lead her out of the room and up to the rooftop of the building.
“Where are we going?” she inquires.
My curious little warrior.
“Is there another exhibit up here?” she asks doubtfully.
“Something like that.”
We make it to the roof, and I push the door open to reveal a massive tent with blankets, pillows, sheets, and lights.
“What’s this?”
I lead her by the hand to the tent. Once we’re seated, I check my watch.
“We have a few minutes.”
“For what?”
“The show,” I say. I grab the bowl of popcorn and other snacks that were left in the tent and pass it to her.
“When I first moved to the U.S., I lived in New York for six months,” I tell her. “While serving out my military service back home, I met my cousin, Taehyun, for the first time. We became close, and his parents had connections in the city.
“I stayed for a while before moving to Williamsport to work in the family business. While there, I learned that the rooftops are just as good as back home.”
I feel her eyes on me, steadying me. Slowly, I turn to her. There’s so much interest in the brown pools.
“Do you still think of Korea as home?”
“Always,” I answer quickly. “It’s where I grew up, my first language, the home of my mother.” A slight pain moves through my chest. The same pain that occurs whenever I think about her.
Kennedy tilts her head sideways, observing me.
I frown. “What?”
“That look in your eyes. They just got sad. Why? Is it because you miss your home?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to move back to Korea. Williamsport is my home now.”
What I don’t say, though, is wherever she is is my home.
I grapple with how much to reveal. I don’t want her to see the weak-willed Dae she found in that alleyway ten years ago. The boy I worked for years to leave behind to be the man she deserves to have by her side.
She doesn’t remember him. I want to keep it that way. However, I’ll never forget him.
“You promised,” she says softly.
The promise I made downstairs. To always be upfront and truthful with her.
“I was thinking about my mother,” I finally say. I let out a laugh that lacks humor. “It’s strange.”
“Not strange,” she replies. “Thinking about home makes you think about her. It’s the most natural thing in the world.”
I shake my head. “Not just that. She’s been gone for almost thirteen years. I can still feel her absence sometimes. The truth is, she wasn’t a warm person, either.
“She loved me. I know that. She showed her love by insisting I get the best grades, study for hours, look as presentable as possible.”
“She wanted the best for you,” Kennedy adds, easily. “You said she was a single parent?”
I nod.
“A couple of years ago I did a piece on a daycare chain in the state. Turns out the director was embezzling money the parents paid.” She opens her mouth but stops. Something sparks in her eyes, though she doesn’t say anything.
“What is it?”
She shakes her head. “Something about my current investigation just clicked.” She waves a dismissive hand in the air.
“Anyway, some of the single parents had extremely high expectations for their kids. They were four and five year olds, but their parents were already talking about elite high schools and college.”
I press my lips together, remembering the article.
“I deduced that some single parents must make up for what they think is missing from their children’s lives. They believe that since they’re the sole provider and motivator in the household, they have to be twice as hard.”
She gives me a small smile.
“That’s a generalization, of course, every parent is different.” She bumps my shoulder. “Can you tell there was a brief period in which I wanted to go into psychology?”
A half grin touches my lips.
“You would’ve made a hell of a therapist.”
She rolls her eyes playfully. “Why do I get the feeling that I could say I wanted to be an underwear model, and you’d still say I would’ve been perfect for the job?”
She lets out a laugh at her joke, but my smile drops. My eyes heat as I imagine her posing in front of cameras in nothing but lace panties. The image itself is enough to have my body responding.
Then rage pulses through me. I think of the photographer and the legions of people who would see her in nothing but panties, and it pisses me off.
“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” My voice comes out dark and laced with jealousy.
Kennedy’s eyes widen. “You can’t be serious,” she says. “You’re not jealous of a hypothetical underwear modeling career, are you?”
“Damn straight I am,” I reply honestly.
She shakes her head. “I don’t like jealousy.”
She’s serious.
But so am I when I reply, “It’s a trait of mine you’ll have to get used to.” I lean in and place a kiss underneath her ear. “Because when it comes to you …” Another kiss. “There’s no other way for me to behave.” I catch her earlobe between my teeth.
Kennedy sucks in a deep breath.
When a shudder runs through her body, I move to her lips and devour her mouth. My little warrior responds in kind. She lets me kiss her as deeply as I desire.
My cock, which was already halfway erect, comes fully alive. I wanted to wait, to give her more time. For the first time, taking her to my bed. But fuck that.
When I push her to her back, she goes willingly. Then she suddenly pulls away from my incessant kisses.
“What about the show?” she pants out, breathless, and her lips swell from my kiss.
“What sho—” I stop, remembering the whole purpose of bringing her here. “You can see the Broadway street performances from here,” I explain, spoiling the show. “Next time,” I say before aggressively kissing her again.
Kennedy moans into my mouth, making my dick press painfully against the zipper of my pants.
How I ever thought I could be alone with her for this long and not fuck her was a stupid miscalculation on my part.
She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer, and I’m a goner. No. I’ve been a goner for this woman.
When she wraps her legs around my waist, I grind my hips into her core.
“Baby,” I say against her lips, “I need to be inside of you.”
I pull at the material of her dress, undoing the buttons along the side. Once I reach the skin underneath, my hands are everywhere. The feel of her softness undoes me, and before I know it, she’s stripped down to her panties and bra.
A smile touches my lips.
She’s wearing a black lace set. I run my finger along the seam of her panties.
“You wore these for me, didn’t you?” Confidence oozes out of my voice. I know she did.
She sits up on her elbows, her dazed gaze meeting my eyes.
She’s so fucking stunning with her kiss swollen lips and the bun she put her hair in, messy. It’s like a drug just knowing I’m the one who made her like this.
“And if I say I did?” she asks, a spark of mischief in her eyes.
I reach down and run my pointer finger up the length of her pussy lips. I can feel the moisture soaking the hem of her panties. She moans and lets her head fall back. Her legs spread.
“That’s right, baby,” I croon. “Open up for me.”
Her legs widen even more. Her body knows who it belongs to.
Fuck, this feeling is headier than I ever anticipated.
I lean over her again and plant my elbows on either side of her head, forcing her to look at me. I brush my lips against hers.
“If you tell me you wore these for me,” I pause to run my hands across her mons, “then I’ll let you come on my tongue before I make you come on my cock.”
She groans, her hips lifting slightly—her body silently begging me to make good on my promise. I still her hips with one hand.
“Tell me,” I instruct while I sit back on my haunches. I hook my hands in her panties.
“I did,” she says with a quiver in her voice.
I need more.
“What was that?”
“I wore them for you.” She pushes out a shuddering breath. “Please, Dae.”
I groan. “Fuck, baby. I wasn’t going to make you beg tonight. But hearing you do it anyway …”
A ripping sound rends the air.
She gasps in surprise, but her gasp soon turns into a deep groan when I put my mouth on her. Her taste is intoxicating. Nothing is sweeter than the taste of Kennedy’s pussy.
The more I taste her, the more I need to taste her. It’s not a want or a desire. At this point it’s a burning need.
An obsession.
I long ago accepted that I’m obsessed with her. At one point, I believed my obsession would disappear. I’d get over it and move on from the girl who saved me in that alleyway.
The opposite happened.
The more I watched and learned about her, the more obsessed I became. Now that she’s here with me, my mouth literally on her pussy, driving her to pleasure, I’m even more dominated by the need to possess her. To let every and any fucker who would even think of coming near her know that she’s off limits.
“Dae, I’m … I’m … Fuuu—” she pants as the orgasm rushes through her.
I don’t stop. I lick, taste, and savor every part of her orgasm.
When her body finally relaxes from her first orgasm, I strip her out of the bra.
Kennedy watches me with hooded eyes as I remove my clothing. The slight red flush in her cheeks looks so fucking good in contrast with the freckles on her face.
“I promised myself the first time I took you would be in my bed. You’ll have to forgive me for breaking that promise.”
She bites her lip as she smirks. “I’d like to see the inside of your home.” Her voice is soft as she says those words.
I kiss the tip of her nose, then her cheek and lips. “You will. Nothing will please me more than when you walk through my front door.”
It’s where she’ll be living soon, anyway.
I move over top of her again and position myself in between her legs. As the tip of my cock brushes against her pussy lips, I let out a hiss.
“Wrap your legs around me,” I order.
When she hesitates, I start to do it for her. Kennedy presses a hand to my chest.
“Dae, wait,” she pants. “Condom.”
Condom.
“Condom,” I repeat, hoping I kept the disdain for the word out of my voice. It’s not that I hate condoms. It’s the idea of wearing one with her that annoys me.
I lean in and kiss her once, twice before pulling back. “We don’t need—”
“We do,” she cuts me off. The look in her eyes is sharp.
I relent as I reach for my wallet to retrieve a condom. Kennedy watches me as I roll it down my length. I would’ve ordered her to wrap her hands around my cock to put the condom on me, but I’m running low on patience.
As soon as the condom’s secured, I wrap my arms underneath her knees and tug her body to me. She yelps in surprise.
I lower and suck one of her breasts into my mouth, letting my tongue circle her nipple the same way I did with her clit. I want to take my time and rush to get inside of her, both at the same time.
But my mantra of pressing for patience soon wears out.
“Hold onto me, baby,” I tell her.
She does, circling my shoulders with her arms. I start to push inside, and she’s so fucking warm and tight that the little bit of control I had wears out. Before I can think better of it, my hips jerk, and I push all of the way inside of her.
“Dae!” she screams. Her fingernails dig into the skin of my back. “Wait,” she pants. The rise and fall of her breasts make my mouth water. “I-It’s been a while,” she says by way of explanation.
I know exactly how fucking long it’s been for her. But not long enough. Her first time should’ve been mine. I console myself with the knowledge that from here on out, her everything will be mine.
I withdraw slowly, trying to allow her body to get used to me. And god, it’s so compliant. Her body soon accommodates my length and girth.
I lower to capture her lips. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I tell her against her lips. “Do you know how fucking good you look taking my cock?” The words spill out of my lips as I thrust back in.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited to make you mine?” I demand to know with another thrust. “Years,” I answer. “You’re fucking mine, Kennedy. No other man will touch you from here on out.”
“Dae,” she pants. “I-I can’t understand what you’re s-saying,” she whimpers.
That’s when I realize I’ve slipped into my mother tongue.
She looks up at me, eyes dazed from lust and confusion because she can’t understand the words I speak in Korean.
“Mine,” I growl in English. I lower and bite the side of her neck, making her moan louder.
Her fingernails dig into my back again. There’s no pain, though.
Just raw, unbidden passion.
I lick along the spot where I bit, soothing it. Her legs begin to tighten around my back. Her hips rise frantically as she reaches for her orgasm.
I feel it the moment it hits her. Her pussy tightens around my shaft.
She lets out a scream and throws her head back, her arms firmly clinging to me. I stroke her through her orgasm, letting myself feel her come around me for the first time. I knew what it felt like for her to come on my tongue.
Amazing.
But this is a different level of amazement. I want to capture this feeling to always keep it with me.
Ripples of pleasure shoot down my spine, and my own orgasm has me in its clutches. Kennedy holds me tighter, clinging to me as if she knows I’m hers as I come.
I don’t know how long it lasts. A few seconds, minutes, days, or hours. I don’t care either.
Having her skin against mine, my cock inside of her, and her breath caressing my ear as she strives to regulate her breathing is all I need.
I don’t want to move, even after my orgasm lets up. I want to remain in this position. Yet, I have to.
I roll our bodies so that she lays on top of me, my cock still inside of her. Kennedy lays her head against my chest and sighs in satisfaction.
I run my fingers through her hair. It’s a mess now, and the pins she used for her bun are desperately hanging from the curls. It’s no use, though.
“I could stay like this all night,” she says dreamily.
“Then we will.”
Her head pops up, her eyes ballooning. “We can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You told me you’d have me back in time for work. It’s late enough as it is.” She starts to move, and my cock slides out of her.
We both groan.
She sits up anyway. My eyes immediately fall to her pert breasts. They’re fucking perfect. Like everything else about her. Her dark brown areolas beckon me to touch them. I suddenly regret not leaving my mark on them.
“No.” She swats my hands away when I reach for her breasts. “If you touch me again, we’ll end up where we just were,” she admits.
She sits on her knees beside me, fully naked. And I unashamedly let my eyes drink in the view. I work on memorizing every contour, every angle, and a bit of space on her that I aim to kiss, touch, and lick next time.
“It’s late,” she finally says. I don’t even think she realizes how much lust is in her voice. “We should get back to Williamsport,” she nearly whispers.
A smirk creases my lips when I watch her eyes sweep down the length of my body. She pauses on my semi-erect dick. Her eyes widen, and there’s a small flush that hits her cheeks.
“We should go.” She takes one of the sheets to cover herself. Like that would stop me. I finally sit up and take her hips in my hands, holding her so she has nowhere to go.
“Dae,” she calls.
But the sound comes out on half of a moan when I dip my head to kiss her neck. Specifically, the spot where I left a mark. She looks good with my mark on her.
“Seriously, I have to work in the morning. This investigation—”
I cut her off with a quick kiss. “We’ll go,” I say. “But only after you promise me the next time, I get to keep you in my arms for the entire night.” My hold on her hips tightens.
“You want me to spend the night with you?”
I shake my head, realizing I phrased it as a question. “You will stay the night with me, Kennedy.” And every night thereafter. “I need you to know that’s how it’s going to be.”
Her eyes spark, and I feel rebellion welling up in them. I capture her lips with mine, quickly pushing the contradiction down.
“The next time, you’re all mine. All night,” I promise.